Abstract

A new type of composite slab is introduced in this paper, which is composed of normal flat steel plates and concrete slabs, connected and interacted by perfobond shear connectors (PBL shear connectors). Experiments on six specimens of this type of composite slab, loaded at two symmetric two-points, were described in this paper to get mechanical behaviors under bending moments. During the experiments, the crack patterns, failure modes, failure mechanism and ultimate bending capacity of specimens with composite slab were investigated, and the strains of concrete and flat steel plates were also measured and recorded in order to obtain the moment action. From the experimental results, it was found that composite interaction between the steel plate and the concrete fully developed, and such composite slab was verified to have good mechanical performance with high bending capacity, substantial flexural rigidity and good ductility. Plane section assumption was also verified and moreover, a design approach including calculation methods of bending capacity and flexural rigidity was established and proposed based on the experimental results, and the calculation methods were also verified and revised on the basis of comparisons of the calculated results and experimental results. Results from this paper provide references for the application of this new type composite slab.